1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to virtual world environments, and in particular to user defined local storage of information and objects in a virtual world environment.
2. Background Information
As internet based 3-D virtual worlds (VW) become more and more ubiquitous, individuals and businesses across a variety of industries are creating a presence in these worlds for many purposes including social networking, advertising and sales. Users of these VWs are able to create objects, services and a plurality of other business opportunities “in world” that could help the individual or company gain revenue, launch products or services, and provide customers with a rich information base for learning and buying opportunities.
In VWs, objects created are stored on the server and very often, if not always, visible to the VW hosts. This causes security concerns especially during pre-announced activities when prototypes are evaluated and compared in a virtual world. For a highly sensitive product or service, a VW user may feel uncomfortable allowing the VW provider to have access to items or information being developed in world, even in instances where the user is able to block other VW users from viewing or otherwise accessing the sensitive information.